Bekker will play in front of home fans in Saturday’s National Championship elimination game after his emotional return to the pitch in Halifax.
It was the 77th minute and the knowledgeable CPL crowd in Halifax knew the significance of what they were witnessing.
So, despite their HFX Wanderers pressing to overcome a 3-1 deficit, they still accorded a very warm and friendly welcome to Forge midfielder Kyle Bekker—longtime captain of the visiting team—as he returned to action for the first time since being diagnosed with testicular cancer.
“It was special,” Bekker said. “Since we got the news that the recovery was going well and I was allowed to get back involved and start ramping things up, it’s just been go-go go. One hurdle after another was just putting myself in a position to come back.
“And then finally when Game Day came and I got back into that routine it all just kind of hit me.
“The response from the crowd was fantastic and a ton of the guys on the other team also came up and said something, which was incredibly nice. And as I’ve said through this entire process, the support and the outreach of people has been overwhelming at times and I’m extremely grateful.”
Bekker substituted in for the energetic Noah Jensen, who had arced a perfect feed to striker Brian Wright, who headed it in for a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute as Forge successfully pressed much of the game and dominated the opening half. They also got goals on a leaping, hard-struck header from Antoine Batisse and a deft half-volley from Hoce Massunda, who had set up Batisse’s score.
Massunda’s goal came 10 minutes after Forge had allowed its first—and so far only—goal of the young CPL season on Isaiah Johnston’s penalty kick, awarded after a debatable positive ruling on Halifax’s FVS challenge for a foul by Rezart Rama.
Bekker came in four minutes later as the Wanderers were unleashing pressure to further narrow the gap.
“Coming on right then was special,” Bekker said.
“The way in which I was out, the reason behind it, was different than anything I’ve ever been used to so there were a lot of emotions. I was back in the routine of travelling with the boys, going down there on a business trip, being part of the meetings. All the little stuff: the meal rooms, chatting with the guys, playing cards, and to make an appearance and be a part of a win on the road was just fantastic.
“The guys played fantastic; we did everything we needed. Obviously, we felt a little hard-done-by with the penalty, which led to the goal we conceded. But there’s a ton to be proud of in terms of a road victory, the chances we created and the three goals we scored on the road.”
So after winning on one coast against Pacific, then on the other against Halifax, Forge leads the CPL with 13 of a possible 15 points with four wins and a scoreless draw against Cavalry FC, who are two points back in second place.
League play pauses this weekend for the opening sudden-death round of the Canadian Championship and like last year, Forge returns home from Halifax to face the Wanderers in a lose-and-you’re-out Voyageurs Cup match (Saturday, 4 p.m. at Hamilton Stadium).
Last year they tied 0-0 on the road in a CPL game against the Wanderers then eliminated them from Cup play a few days later, 3-1 in Hamilton.
But despite the back-to-back nature of the two games, they are not the same animal at all. Each team is subtly different than they were in league play, if only a few days earlier.
Both Bekker and head coach Bobby Smyrniotis said the fact that it’s a knockout game changes the nature of the match. And that can change the nature of who the teams themselves are.
“In one way you want to say yes, but in another way you also played them in the last game at their home where they’re going to be an aggressive team,” Smyrniotis said.
“They are who they are: the difference here for both teams is that it’s not about three points. It’s about playing for another day. There’s a little more of that good positive sporting pressure that we talk about, and I think we have a lot of experience at that.
“Everyone wants to go another round in the Cup. These are games where you have to know how to manage it. You have to know how to manage if you’re up in the score; you have to know how to manage it if things are kind of deadlocked, how to control the tempo of the players, and how to manage it if you have to get back in the game. It’s not a game that can be finished after 70 minutes because a team is up by a couple of goals. You’ve got to play that momentum, either way, for the full period of the game. When you have a lot of good experience in these kinds of games that could be a positive for you and when you’re an ambitious team that wants to do this, you’re also going to play through the last minute.
“We’ve played these first-round games against the semi-amateur clubs, the PLSQ clubs, the CPL clubs, the MLS clubs. You need the same level of attention, the same level of detail for the whole game.”
Bekker says the difference in a knockout game is that anything can happen. Many of the Forge players have had a lot of deep experience with elimination games in international play, CPL playoffs and the national tournament and he says that because of that the Hammers won’t ever underestimate the Wanderers.
“With us going in there on Saturday and getting a result like that, they’re going to come out with a chip on their shoulder.
“For us, it’s all about maintaining the process, how we go about it. There’s an expectation about these types of games when you put on a Forge jersey. You want to be in these meaningful games; it’s no easy feat and we’re not taking it lightly.”
And while Dimitry Bertaud, and his dominant back line, have not allowed a goal from the field of play, and just one overall (Johnston’s penalty kick), Halifax keeper Marco Carducci is also capable of brilliance as he proved in his long tenure with Cavalry, Forge’s fiercest rivals.
After Saturday’s game, Carducci and Bekker shook hands and embraced each other, not only out of mutual respect for their respective legendary CPL status but because of a larger shared experience. In 2022 Carducci also was diagnosed and treated for testicular cancer and he has been delivering emotional backing to Bekker.
“He’s been fantastic,” Bekker said. “We touched base since my story became public and he reached out to me. As someone who has had the experience, he has a unique perspective on the whole thing. He’s made a successful recovery and been fantastic since.
“With our busy schedules we hadn’t had a chance to fully catch up, so after the game it was nice to see him face-to-face. It’s one thing over a phone call or a text message, but it’s always nice to see him in person.
“It was great of him to show all that support, and it’s a testament to the character that he has.”